Basketball backstop mount for a garage roof



Feb. 19, 1957 J. J. DONOGHUE BASKETBALL BACKSTOP MOUNT FOR A GARAGE ROOFFiled Nov. 10, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 19, 1957 J. J. DONOGHUEBASKETBALL BACKSTOP MOUNT FOR AGARAGEROOF Filed Nov. 10, 1955 2Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

4 770 ENE YS United States Patent BASKETBALL BACKSTOP MOUNT FOR A GARAGEROOF John J. Donoghue, Worcester, Mass.

Application November 10, 1955, Serial No. 546,105

3 Claims. (Cl. 2723-) This invention relates, to basketball backstopsupports, and more particularly to an improved basketball backboardmount especially adapted for use on building roofs, for example, ongarage roofs.

The main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedbasketball backboard mount for use on a building roof, the mount beingsimple in construction, being easy to install, and being easy to detachfrom the roof when not in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved basketballbackboard mount for a building roof, such as a garage roof, saidimproved backboard mount being inexpensive to fabricate, being rugged inconstruction, and being adaptable for use on buildings having a widevariety of slope angles for their roofs.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improvedbasketball backboard mount for use on a building having a sloping roof,the backboard mount being neat in appearance, being arranged to preventroof leakage, and being universally adjustable to fit on a roof of anyslope angle.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description and claims, and from the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of a portion of a garage showing animproved basketball backboard structure mounted thereon, in accordancewith the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the basketball backboard mountstructure employed in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the rear and its associatedhinge members, as employed in the assembly of Figures 1 and 2; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the bottom support member employed inthe assembly of Figures 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawings, the improved basketball backboard assembly isdesignated generally at Hand comprises a bottom support 12 consisting ofa horizontal bar 13 formed with a plurality of openings 14 whereby thebar 13 may be secured to the top portion of the side wall 15 of a garageor similar building beneath the eaves thereof by the use of suitablefastening means such as lag screws 16. Rigidly secured to the horizontalbar 13 centrally thereof is a first forwardly extending arm 18, andsimilarly rigidly secured to the bar 13 at equal distances on oppositesides of the arm 18 are additional forwardly extending arms 19, 19,similar to the arm 18. The arms 18 and 39 are of sumcient length toextend just beyond the eaves of the building roof 20, as shown in Figure2. Each arm 18 and 19 is formed with an upstanding vertical member,shown at 21 and 22, 22, said upstanding members being of identicalheight and being formed with openings 23, whereby a basketball backboard24 may be secured to said upstanding members by employing suitablefasteners through the opening 23. As shown in Figure 2, suitable bolts25 may be employed for this purpose.

Designated at 27, 27 are a pair of rear struts which are hingedlyconnected at their top ends to the upper 2,782,034 Patented Feb. 19;,1957 ice corner portions of the backboard 24, as by hinge assemblies 28.As shown in Figure 3, each hinge assembly 28 comprises a first hingeleaf 29 rigidly secured to the top end of the strut 27 and having ahinge sleeve 39, and a second hinge leaf 31 formed with a centralopening 32 by means of which the leaf 31 is secured to the upper cornerportion of the backboard 24, for example, by the use of a bolt, rivet,or similar fastener, designated at 33, in Figure l. The leaf 31 isformed with the spaced, aligned hinge sleeves 3d, 34 between which thesleeve 30 is receivable, for the reception of a hinge pin 36 of theremovable type. At its lower end, each rear strut 27 is provided with ahinge leaf element 37 rigidly secured thereto, as shown in Figure 3,said leaf element being formed with the spaced hinge sleeves 33, 38.Co-' operating with the leaf element 37 is a second leaf element 39adapted to be secured to the roof 20 underneath a selected shingle 40thereof, as shown in Figure 1, as by the use of suitable fasteners suchas nails or the like, driven through apertures 42 provided in the leafelement 39. Said leaf element 39 is formed with the spaced hinge sleeve43 between which the sleeves 38 are receivable, whereby a removablehinge pin 44 may be inserted through the aligned hinge sleeve 38 and 43.

As will be readily apparent, the strut members 27 are universallyadjustable so that the backboard 24 may be supported in an uprightvertical position by the rear strut bars 2'7, 2'7, regardless of theslope of the roof of the building on which a backboard is mounted.

When use of the backboard is not required, the backboard may bedismounted by removing the lower hinge pin 44 of the rear strut members27, 27, and by unfastening the horizontal bar 13, as by removing the lagscrews 16, whereby the major portion of the backboard assembly may bedetached from the building, leaving only the hinge leaf elements 39,which are substantially hidden under the shingles 40.

While a specific embodiment of an improved basketball backstop assemblyfor attachment to a building roof has been disclosed in the foregoingdescription, it will be understood that various modifications within thespirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art.Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the inventionexcept as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A basketball backstop assembly for attachment to an elongatedbuilding roof comprising a horizontal bottom support adapted to besecured to the side portion of a building adjacent the roof thereof, apluralityof forwardly extending arms rigidly secured to said bottomsupport, respective vertical upstanding membersat the end of said arms,a basketball backstop secured vertically to said vertical members, aninclined rear strut, first hinge means connecting the top end of saidrear strut to the upper portion of said backstop, an anchor elementadapted to be secured to the building roof, and second hinge meansconnecting the lower end of said rear strut to said anchor element.

2. A basketball backstop assembly for attachment to a building roofcomprising an elongated horizontal bottom bar adapted to be secured tothe side portion of a building adjacent the roof thereof, a plurality ofspaced forwardly extending arms rigidly secured to said bottom bar,respective vertical upstanding members at the ends of said arms, abasketball backstop secured vertically to said vertical members, a pairofinclined rear struts, first hinge means connecting the top ends ofsaid rear struts to the upper corner portions of said backstop,respective anchor elements adapted to be secured to the building roof,and second hinge means connecting the lower ends of said rear struts tosaid anchor elements.

3. A basketball backstop assembly for attachment to a Inbuilding roofcomprising an elongated horizontal bottom bar adapted to be secured tothe side portion of a building adjacent the roof thereof, a plurality ofspaced forwardly extending arms of identical length rigidly secured tosaid bottom bars and extending perpendicular thereto, respectivevertical upstanding members at the ends of said arms, a basketballbackstop secured vertically to said vertical members, a pair of inclinedrear struts, first hinge means connecting the top ends of said rearstruts to the upper corner portions of said backstop, respective anchorelements adapted to be secured to the building roof, and second hingemeans connecting the lower ends of said References Cited in the file ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 940,957 De Marcy Nov. 23, 19091,650,324 Campbell Nov. 22, 1927 2,512,417 Cook June 20, 1950 2,596,543Fox May 13, 1952

